I'm Holding Out For A Hero
by Aloh Dark
Summary: Things run amoke in the woods one night. DR


Okay, so it's the last Tuesday before my life is changed by the THIRD HP movie. I'm giddy with excitement. And trust me, I only get giddy over two things. A) Tom Felton and B) Slash. So the fact that this movie as one thing I'm giddy over and causes me to think about the second thing that makes me giddy, I'm melting from the giddiness. It's completely ruined my image. sigh I can't wait for the movie!! I am so jealous of anyone in Britain right now because it's already premiered there.

This song got re-introduced to me recently. I loved it before and I still do now. Only, after hearing it twice in the new Shrek 2, I had it stuck in my head. Go see that movie if you haven't yet!! Awesomeness!!

Disclaimer: All HP related characters belong to the Goddess, J.K.Rowling. Let us bow and pray to her so she delivers the sixth book to us! Also, the song "I'm Holding Out For A Hero" doesn't belong to me either. It belongs to Bonnie Tyler.

Note: This doesn't really have any spoilers in it. Also, it takes place after they've graduated. A few years afterwards probably since Ginny's in it. They're still young though.

Now, onto the fic!!

I'm Holding Out For A Hero by Aloh Dark

Ron shook in fear. He didn't mean to be so afraid but he couldn't help it. His body and mind were working against his courage to break his nerve. He tried to steady his shaking breathing as he crouched behind the tree trunk. He was sure his pounding heart was going to give him away to the Death Eaters searching for him.

_Where have all the good men gone_

_And where are all the gods?_

He didn't even know if any of the others had been caught and it was just him left. He wasn't going to listen to the taunts the Death Eaters were yelling at him, hoping to make him break cover. He closed his eyes for a second and listened for any sign of movement. Some one was walking far on his right. A Death Eater, no doubt, by the many, unhurried sounds they made. Ron took a deep breath and opened his eyes again.

_Where's the street-wise Hercules_

_To fight the rising odds?_

Ron began to make his way, slowly, cautiously back to where he hoped some of the others had run to. He needed someone to be around him, someone he could help and be helped by. His heart beat faster and faster even though his body was crawling at a snails pace through the underbrush.

_Isn't there a white knight upon a fiery steed?_

_Late at night I toss and turn and dream of what I need_

He reached a small clearing a paused. He held his breath and listened harshly to the air around him. Nothing but the small sounds of insects. That was a good sign, Ron knew. As long as the insects were making noise that meant nothing was hiding in the shadows. He shot out of the hedges and across the clearing, moonlight illuminating him for the brief seconds he was in the clearing. He came to a harsh stop when he reached the other side. He listened intensely for any sounds of movement. None.

_I need a hero!_

_I'm holding out for a hero till the end of the night._

Ron moved a bit more quickly now. Something was pulling him recklessly forward. He flinched at ever sound he made, it sounding like explosions in his ears. Or maybe that was just his heart pounding against his chest and forcing the blood through his ears. He found himself on a path and ran down it, his foot steps feeling like gunfire leading the Death Eaters to him.

_He's gotta be strong,_

_And he's gotta be fast,_

_And he's gotta be fresh from the fight!_

He heard movement ahead of him and stopped dead, causing him to trip onto the ground. He rolled into the underbrush, pain shooting through his ribs and knee. He panted softly as he waited for something to enter his line of sight. It was in a Death Eaters robe and looking about frantically. The Death Eater held a torch above his head and scanned the area desperately.

_I need a hero!_

_I'm holding out for a hero till the morning light._

Ron nearly gasped aloud when he saw who was holding the torch. Draco, his Draco. He'd thought Draco was dead for months and now he sees him in full robes, mask atop his head. Ron wanted to moan in pain at the sight. He wanted to run up to his beautiful lover and demand to know why. Why he was in those robes. Why he'd let Ron believe he'd been dead this whole time. Why... Why... Just why.

_He's gotta be sure,_

_And he's gotta be soon,_

_And he's gotta be larger than life!_

Ron didn't even realize he'd made a noise until Draco looked directly at his hiding space. The blond boy walked over and pushed the branches out of his way. They both stared deep into each others eyes for long moments. Their eye contact was only broken when something rustling in the distance caught both their attentions. Draco held out his hand to Ron with a pleading look.

_Somewhere after midnight_

_In my wildest fantasy_

Before Ron could even think, he was grabbing Draco's warm hand in his. Draco dropped the torch and pulled Ron into his arms. He kissed him harshly, passionately before pulling away and beginning to run. Ron followed mindlessly, only thinking how either Draco was saving him or pulling him to his doom. He realized that either way, he was going to go willingly.

_Somewhere just beyond my reach_

_There's someone reaching back for me_

Draco pulled him down the way Ron had just ran. They went as fast as their feet and lack of light could take them. To Ron's ears they might as well have had a giant spot light on them for all the noise they were making. He knew, though, that anyone more than ten feet away wouldn't be able to heard a sound they made. Something about Draco just made everything he did, and everything anyone around him did, that much quieter.

_Racing on the thunder and rising with the heat_

_It's gonna take a superman to sweep me off my feet._

They paused for breath at a fork in the trail. Ron leaned heavily against Draco's back as he fought to catch his breath. He could feel the sweat dripping off of Draco mingle with the salty liquid pouring from himself. Draco was turning his head each way and Ron knew he was thinking hard. It wasn't long before Draco grabbed Ron's hand again and pulled him to the right.

_I need a hero!_

_I'm holding out for a hero till the end of the night._

Unfortunately for them they ran the wrong direction. Soon after starting down the path they ran right into two Death Eaters levitating a silently screaming Hermione. Ron gasped in horror, drawing the attention of the Death Eaters. They turned to face Ron and Draco with amused looks. Their eyes begged for pain through their masks.

_He's gotta be strong,_

_And he's gotta be fast,_

_And he's gotta be fresh from the fight!_

Draco and Ron barely blinked before they raised their wands and cursed the Death Eaters. Hermione fell to the ground with a dull thud and began to weep dryly. Ron let go of Draco's hand and ran over to his fallen friend. He looked down into her sightless eyes as she wept her last breaths. Ron held back his tears. This was no time for grief, that had to come later. As for right now, they needed to get away before the knocked out Death Eaters came back to their senses.

_I need a hero!_

_I'm holding out for a hero till the morning light._

Ron's grief tried to slow him down. He fought diligently against it. There was a time when he loved Hermione as more than a friend. A time long ago before he found Draco's arms comforting when he would have given the world to her just so she would smile at him. These memories and feelings tried to yank his heart to the ground and make him let it grieve. His mind and body fought against his heart and forced him on. Forced him to keep going so Hermione needn't have died in vain.

_He's gotta be sure,_

_And he's gotta be soon,_

_And he's gotta be larger than life!_

Ron's eyes burned and his vision was blurred as he followed Draco's harsh, pulling insistence that he follow him. Ron blindly followed, lost in himself and in the woods. Draco's firm hand on his was all Ron could focus on to keep the pain away and be able to nearly focus on the task at hand. On what had happened.

_I need a hero_

_I'm holding out for a hero til the end of the night_

They'd been gathered for meeting. One hidden away so no one could overhear and disturb them. The Order was fighting Voldermort with all they had, and there didn't seem to be much progress either way. So the fighters of the Order gathered to try and tip the scale in their favor. They'd already lost so many to the fight that they wanted the war over and done with as quickly as possible.

_Up where the mountains meet the heavens above_

_Out where the lightening splits the sea_

First the outside watch had been taken care off by silent Death Eaters. They were fortunate that one had been sloppy and a guard managed to get the signal out just in time. The protection spell they'd cast to keep anyone from Apparating in had been their downfall. It caused it so they couldn't Disapparate out. Panic ensued when that was found out.

_I would swear that there's someone somewhere_

_Watching me_

It didn't take long for the Death Eaters to make their way to their central fire, but by then everyone had gathered in an outward facing circle, prepared to fight. Curses and hexes flew on either side before they could even see their enemy. Dean fell first, causing panic and glee on either side. It wasn't long before the Death Eaters had them running through the woods, trying to save their own lives.

_Through the wind and the chill and the rain_

_And the storm and the flood_

Ron, Ginny and Hermione had all run off together. Ron choked on the memory of Hermione alive, smiling, happy just an hour before. If only they hadn't gotten separated. If only he and Ginny hadn't turn left when Hermione went straight. Maybe then she'd still be alive. Maybe then he'd still have one of his best friends with him. He choked back a sob and stumbled as Draco yanked hard on his hand.

_I can feel his approach_

_Like the fire in my blood_

Soon after that he'd left Ginny, passed out in a hollowed out tree trunk. He'd been left alone after he left her. He forced himself to go on since staying with Ginny would have gotten them both caught. He didn't know if she was still there, waiting everything out. Or running around, blindly, looking for her friends or any enemies to kill. He didn't know where his baby sister was in all this madness. Their mum would never forgive him.

_I need a hero!_

_I'm holding out for a hero till the end of the night._

Ron could barely hear Draco's panted, comforting murmurs. He could barely hear the encouragements to keep going. He could barely hear being told to keep going for their sake. For the sake of the fallen. For the sake of the lost. For the sake of those that will be lost if he doesn't tell the others in the Order what they'd planned. He barely heard being told that everything would be lost if he didn't keep going. He barely could tell if it was his own mind saying these things or Draco's lips.

_He's gotta be strong,_

_And he's gotta be fast,_

_And he's gotta be fresh from the fight!_

Draco slowed down and pulled Ron off the trail. They moved as swiftly as they dared through the forest until they reached a giant fallen tree. Draco climbed inside the rotting center and pulled Ron inside with him. They huddled together in the rotting trunk of the giant tree. Their breath misted before their eyes as Ron leaned against Draco's chest. Draco's arms pulled Ron to him and held him fast, his fingers locked as if he never wanted to let the red head go.

_I need a hero!_

_I'm holding out for a hero till the morning light._

They huddled together underneath a blanket of shimmering stars. They were cut clear and bright in the sky, the crisp air making them brighter. Ron and Draco didn't notice the shinning gems though, locked together. Draco held onto Ron as if he'd disappear at any given moment. Ron held onto Draco, needing something solid to ground him so he was drown by his overwhelming emotions.

_He's gotta be sure,_

_And he's gotta be soon,_

_And he's gotta be larger than life!_

When they'd finally caught their breath completely Draco got out of the tree. He helped Ron down to the ground and held him close for a moment. Years of growth had made them nearly the same height and they easily stared into each others eyes. Draco gently kissed Ron's lips. It was bitter-sweat and full of love. Draco pulled away first and smooth some of Ron's hair behind his ear. He grabbed his hand again and began to walk through the woods. Ron followed close behind.

_I need a hero!_

_I'm holding out for a hero till the end of the night._

Shouting and torches soon found them as Death Eaters appeared from the shadows. Draco and Ron paused like deer caught in head lights before breaking into a run. They ran side by side through the woods, being chased by excited Death Eaters. The two that tormented Hermione to death called out jeering remarks as they chased them.

_He's gotta be strong,_

_And he's gotta be fast,_

_And he's gotta be fresh from the fight!_

Draco and Ron ran as fast as they could, most of the Death Eaters right on their heals the whole way. They never let go of each others hand as they sprinted for their lives. Their hearts pounded against their chest in a face pasted, panicked rhythm. Neither one had the energy to spare to thinking, they just moved on instinct and with each other.

_I need a hero!_

Draco and Ron broke noisily into a clearing. They were out in the open with no where to hide. The clearing was huge, too big to sprint across and not be caught. They ran to the middle and up to the top of the hill the tree line was bordered around. They panted and clutched each others hands tightly. Their wands were raised towards the Death Eaters breaking through the tree line and into the clearing.

_I'm holding out for a hero till the morning light._

Their hexes and cursed found mark in several of the Death Eaters, who went down screaming. They blocked most of the ones shot at them, but some still grazed them, too lightly to do what they were supposed to but close enough to sting. Draco and Ron held their own, clutching each others hands, nothing could break them apart.

_He's gotta be sure,_

The Death Eaters smiled behind their masks and laughed. They'd gotten close enough to do what was needed. Ron's heart pounded in his ears as he heard the words he'd come to fear the most. Green light shone brightly from their wand tips and time seemed to slow. Draco was in front of him suddenly and his body jerked as the curse hit him several times. His body fell lifeless to the ground.

_And he's gotta be soon,_

Ron screamed as the clearing was filled with bright light. Order Members and Aurura's filled the area and quickly over took the Death Eaters. Ron fell to the ground, laughing hysterically and crying as he held Draco's lifeless body in his arms. He didn't notice those around him, and he didn't care. All he knew was that he'd gotten Draco back just to lose him one more time. He'd have to grieve twice for a newly shattered heart.

_And he's gotta be larger than life!_


End file.
